The preparation of instant grits is a rather well-developed technology. According to a simple four-step process, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) gum and salt are premixed with water. The gum/salt/water mixture is then mixed with grits to form a slurry, which is heated by steam injection using an in-line paddle mixer. The slurry is then immediately piped to and onto a drum drier for drying and sheet formation before transporting the thus-obtained material to a mill for granulation into a final product.
The CMC gum is initially incorporated in the process for two reasons: it acts as a gel former that ties up excess water that is not absorbed by the grits (controlling the viscosity of the finished grits), and further acts as a web strengthener (facilitating removal of the dried material from the drum drier in a relatively uniform sheet for transport to the mill in a controlled manner). The gum, however, has three drawbacks: it gives the finished product a distinctive slick and slimy mouth-feel; its water-binding characteristic retards the drying process; and it is costly (over six times the cost of grits per pound).
Activity in the development of instant grits processes is reflected by patents issued in that technology. Exemplary patents include U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,846, U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,847, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,584, U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,956, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,295, U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,254, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,255, all of which initially admix corn grits with water and polysaccharide gum. The state of the art is further exemplified by such patents as U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,768 (presents a slow, tank-oriented process in which a small amount of water is added to allow some softening, granules are cracked or disrupted to speed drying and rehydration, and drying is effected slowly by air drying), U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,855 (presents a process with very high water levels, followed by slow freezing to damage or disrupt fully developed starch granules; water is removed by squeezing, followed by slow air drying), U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,668 (provides an extrusion/expansion process for making grits, followed by air drying and grinding) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,159 (teaches the contrast between drum drying and extrusion, followed by slicing into shakers and air drying).